Write a short note on Deforestation ?
Answer :
1. Deforestation is define as the permanent removal, decrease or deterioration of forests and woodlands.
2. Human activities (anthropogenic) through a long time are chiefly responsible for deforestation, which resulted in considerable decrease in forest land.
3. The recommended forest area is about 33% of the total land area the forest cover of India is presently about 19% only.
4. The main causes of deforestation include:
- Intensive collection of firewood, clearing of land for agriculture, developing pastures for grazing animals.
- Due to carry out mining activities, to earn foreign exchange by selling wood, to obtain land for construction of roads.
- Construction of buildings and dams, to meet increasing demand of timber wood, to acquire land for industries.
- Few natural calamities like wildfire, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, storms, etc.
- Slash and burn agriculture, (commonly known as Jhum cultivation) was the main cause of deforestation in the north- eastern states of India.
climate, shrinking fuel wood, shortage of timber, incidents of landslides, global warming, etc.
6. Conservation and management of forests:
- Deforestation can be minimize by effective control of wild fire using suitable measures.
- Regulating grazing of animals in forest lands, protection of forests from pests and pathogens.
- Economic use of timber and fuel wood to avoid its wastage, forest conservation through law, adopting reforestation and afforestation programmes, en couragings agro-forestry.
- By educating people about hazards of deforestation, etc.
7. Reforestation:
- Reforestation is restoring a forest that once existed and plantation of trees in barren and unexploited land to improve environment is known as afforestation.
- Agro-forestry is using the same land for agriculture and forestry.
- Motivating people include awarding persons for their outstanding work in tree plantation would also help in this connection.
- Every year 5th June is observed as the World Environment Day.